Astrasmom

You first have to call your insurance company to see if it's covered and then your PCP. I have BC/BS and I will tell you that they were great. I was required to wait 6 months though. I had to go through several tests. But as I said in another forum it was worth the wait because I got 6 nutritional visits and I really learned alot.

Welcome Shonte and Kris. My insurance was BCBS and they required a 6 month waiting period. I really didn't have to go on a monitored diet but I did have to go through several tests before I got here. As I tell everyone else. They waiting period REALLY sucks but the results are worth waiting for. I'm 42 and have an 18 and a 21 year old sons and I was banded on Oct 23, 2009. I am feeling awesome. Good luck with your insurance companies. And even if you have to wait. It's ok. Personally I liked the 6 month wait because I got 6 visits with the nutritionist and I learned quiet a bit. :biggrin:

The waiting period really sucks but the results are worth the wait. I had to wait 6 months for my insurance to clear me. I had to go through all sorts of pre-op procedures and a 2 week diet to get where I am today. I was banded on Oct. 23. Don't worry you will be here with us soon on the losers bench and feeling great. I wish you luck.

It's not the coke you are withdrawing from. It's the caffeine. I know many people have coffee but my nutritionist told me that for every caffeinated drink you have it takes 2 glasses of water to replace what your body has lost. Caffeine dehydrates you because it's a natural diuretic. Before I was banded I drank diet pepsi all of the time and coffee. I gave it up cold turkey. I went through the shakes and the headaches but after about a week it was ok. My suggestion is try Crystal light. Especially the Fruit Punch. If that doesn't work then try some Ice Tea. Biggest thing is you can't think about it the soda. Which yes I know it's easier said then done. But from what I am told the carbonation will cause problems down the line. By the way, coke will eat the paint off of your car, can you imagine what it's doing to your insides? :tongue_smilie:

I use the Wii Fit at home. There are also tons of DVD's on the market that you can do at home also. And walking is good for you. You can increase your speed as you go along. I will never be able to run but I'm at a brisk walk right now. That burns calories.

If you can't make it through the full liquid phase for the week. I cheated one day and had a small plain yogurt (NO FRUIT). It held me over. And I was fine. I'm on Pureed now for a week and doing fine. I should be on soft food next week.

ABSOLUTELY. I am a little over 2 weeks post op and already down 36lbs. I would do it over again in a heartbeat.

Every doctor is different. I was on clear liquids for one week and then moved onto mushies last week. I'm on this for another week or so. Then I will move onto regular food. The mushies you can eat just about anything as long as you puree it. I have been sticking to chicken and fish because they have the highest protein.

I started off with walking the day after my surgery. Short distances. And when I started feeling better after a few days I walked longer. I try to walk at least 2 miles 2-3 times a week. I also use my Wii Fit as much as possible. Today I started back in the cardio room which I will be doing 3 days a week for 30 minutes. I tried the elliptical but I'm not quiet ready for that. I need to lose more weight first. I did however walk on the tread mill for 30 minutes at a pretty fast pace. WALK WALK WALK as much as you can until you feel better. I am not allowed to do weights for another 3-4 weeks. Good luck with your surgery.

Ok count me in. I had my surgery on 10/23/09. I'm already down 36lbs. Even though I know I won't be losing it as fast as many people because I am in "banders hell" right now, I would like to at least lost another 10lbs by Christmas. My co-workers have made it a habit to get me to the cardio lab and work on the machines at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes. I'm using my Wii fit as much as possible and walking at least 2 miles inbetween the days I'm not on the fit or working in the cardio lab. I look forward to hearing about everyone's progress.

ABSOLUTELY. I had mine on Oct 23, 2009. I've already lost 36lbs. I'm able to move around. I'm able to exercise. I have more energy. And biggest of all I am not hungry. I'm able to go into a restaurant and order Soup while my family pigs out on foods that I loved and it doesn't bother me anymore. The first week is a bit painful. Not over powering though. After that it's smooth sailing. It's a learning process and a definate lifestyle change. This is the most important decision I have made in my life and I would recommend it to anyone. I have tried every diet you can imagine and I've already passed what I lost in Weight Watchers. This time I will be able to keep the weight off instead of gaining it back. This is not a diet or a quick fix. You do have to work at it. The lap band is a tool to help you. And as i said it's definately a life style change for the better. Good luck to you.

I wish they had this surgery when I was 18. I definitely would have gotten it done then. Don't knock your parents though because myself being a parent of an 18 and a 21 year old, we are just worried about our kids. Any kind of surgery is scary. But knowing what I know now, and going through the lap band surgery 2 weeks ago, I would definitely recommend it to my children if they needed it. Parents sometimes just need to be reminded that you love them and that you know they are only trying to protect you BUT you really need to think for yourselves at times. And WLS at a young age is awesome. You will bypass all the complications in life that comes with the extra weight. And ultimately you will be saving your life. The best of luck to everyone.

Ok I'm sure you have been asked this question many of times. Please explain to me what exactly "Bandster Hell" is. Does everyone go through it? What happens? I am following the strict diet of mushies that my nutritionist put me on. I am weighing all of my food and taking my protein shakes. I'm not eating anything inbetween. I'm really not that hungry....of course I haven't lost anything this week and go back to the doctors on 11/16. I don't have my first fill for another 4 weeks... so is that "Bandster Hell"? And while I'm here..off to another topic...can you feel if your band has slipped? How do you know if it has slipped?? Sorry 2 questions for the price of one..lol

Hi. I was banded on 10/23. Since surgery I have lost 19lbs. Before surgery with the preop I lost 11lbs. Together with a total of 30lbs. I just started mushies on Monday and haven't lost anymore but as I am told I probably won't until after a couple of fills because this is the healing process for me.

Congratulations. I was banded on Oct. 23. Give it about a week and you will feel as good as new. It's great that you are walking. Keep that up. It will definately help get rid of the gas that you experience. Take things at your own pace. And don't be afraid to ask questions. The only stupid question is the one not asked.

I just started. I added my goal for Turkey Day.

More then likely it's the hunger pains. I get really bad pains when I'm hungry. It's a different kind of hungry pains then before I was banded. You are my neighbor. That's cool. When did you have your surgery?

Don't know if you have your Protein shakes yet but unjury chicken flavor protien powder is great. www.unjury.com Also I lived on sugar free Ice pops. In all honesty I hated the pre-op diet. Keep telling yourself that you are almost there. Each day is one day closer to your surgery. My words of wisdom to you are. Remember you are in this for yourself. Don't listen to any negative things that people might say to you. I was banded on Oct 23 and I feel awesome. My pain is all gone now. I have more energy already. I've lost 20 lbs since my surgery. 30 lbs all together with the pre-op diet. You will do great. Don't be afraid to use your pain medication as needed. Be sure to walk as much as you possibly can to help with the gas and to prevent blood clots. Good luck to you and if you have any question don't hesitate to ask. I'm no where near being an expert but I did do the surgery part. :thumbup:

Forgive me for being forward but are you moving your bowels regularly? I have read many people have to take stool softeners. But it could be that you are just hungry. I know my stomach really hurts when I'm hungry. Sometimes I think it's gas pains but after I eat something or drink my Protein Shake it goes away. From what I am told this is what is called 'Banders Hell'. It's the time between your surgery and your first fill.

GREAT JOB! Your amazing. Keep up the great work. I can't wait to get under 200. Your my inspiration now.

So I was banded on Oct 23, 2009. So far everything is going great. I have lost 20 lbs since surgery and 30 all together with the pre-op diet and everything. I'm a food addict. I have been for most of my life. I eat because of stress. And GOD knows I've had alot of it in my life. And I eat because it's there. Since my surgery I have learned alot about myself. One great point is that I can take control over food. It doesn't have to control me. Sure I get my cravings now and then, but food is not as controling as it was before I was banded. I'm already starting to feel better about myself. I know that I what to live. I want to feel better. And for once I want someone in my life to feel proud of my accomplishments. I want someone to be able to look at me and say "WOW Dawn. You look great!" I want to be able to do things with my kids. Because of being over weight most of my life I have missed out on many of the things that I should have been able to do with my kids. They are now teenagers and I want to do things with them before they move away. Being over weight is like a skinny person being trapped in this huge Cacoon and wanting to get out but the Cacoon keeps over powering you. You try so hard to get to the outside by trying these "Diet" things and you get down 10 -20 lbs but find yourself slipping back down into the Big, dark, cacoon. You just never seem to reach the outside. I want to get out of this Big, Dark Cacoon, once and for all. I want to see what the outside world looks like. And I want to love myself. Not just like and accept myself. I want to be able to love myself and love the way that I look. I'm tired of hiding. I'm tired of feeling ashamed. I'm tired of people staring at me because I'm fat. I want people to look at me because I'm skinny. And I want to prove to myself that I can do something and Complete it if I set my mind out to do it. I don't want to be a failure of weightloss ANYMORE!!

Thank you so much!

In my experience with Aetna, my suggestion is to call them because Aetna tends to make their own rules. Make sure you argue with them if they require you to get these tests inorder to approve your surgery then there is no reason for you to have to pay for them out of your own pocket. That's crazy.

I was banded on Oct 23. I feel AWESOME. I have lost 20 lbs since surgery. All together from the pre-op diet until now I have lost 30 lbs. I am starting to get some energy. I'm able to exercise now like I couldn't do before. To be honest with you, I HATED the pre-op diet but I made it through. Ok so I cheated a couple of times with a peice of cheese. Nothing huge though. The liquid phase wasn't that bad until 2 days before I started mushies which I am on right now and I'm really not hungry at all. My pain is all gone. I was on pain pills for about 3-4 days after I came home from the hospital. I didn't use much pain medication in the hospital. I walked alot after surgery in the hospital. I only had to stay 1 day. It wasn't that bad. The barium that I had to swallow the day after surgery for my X-RAYS was horrible. You learn how to chew slow. My nutritionalist suggested that we use baby spoons to eat so that we don't get large portions in our mouths at one time. I usually take about 30 minutes to eat my meal. If you eat slower the hunger stays away longer too. And the protien shakes aren't that bad. This is the most important thing that I have ever done in my life. I am so happy that I went through with it. I had several supporters. I work in an alternative school and we have a staff of 11. They all knew about my surgery and they support me. My family supports me. My husband is starting to come through. He was hell at first because he didn't want to see me 'cut open' again. In 2001 I had open heart surgery for an aortic aneurysm. So he didn't think surgery was necessary and that if I just went on a diet I would lose the weight. After telling him over and over again I HAVE DONE THE DIET THING, he finally stepped back. He's now pretty supportive of my surgery. I have struggled with weight for most of my life and I finally got tired of feeling the way I feel. So I knew I had to do something if I wanted to live. My advice as someone else said. You are doing this for you. If you feel comfortable telling people them go ahead. In my personal experience I've only told a few select people. I'm sure when I start losing more weight people will ask and I will more then likely tell them. Second advice is once you do get banded. I weigh EVERYTHING. It helps to keep yourself on track or you tend to take a bit more then you should.